2023 City of San Marcos Haz Mit Annex_Final.pdf — San Marcos City Council, May 23, 2023

Multi-Jurisdictional
Hazard Mitigation Plan:

CITY OF SAN MARCOS Annex
San Diego County, California
2023-2028

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1. SECTION ONE: Determine the
Planning Area and Resources

1.1. Planning Area: City of San Marcos
The City of San Marcos is located in the northern part of San Diego County approximately 30 miles north of downtown San Diego. The City shares legal boundaries with the Cities of Vista, Escondido and Carlsbad; and the unincorporated area of the county borders the city on the north, south and west. The population in 2022 is approximately 95,355. The climate of San Marcos is Mediterranean in type – mild, sunny winters with occasional rainy periods of short duration, and warm, rainless summers. A mountain barrier crosses north to south through the eastern half of San Diego County, separating desert to the east and semi-arid coastal plains to the west.

The City’s housing stock is comprised of approximately 31,316 units in 2022, including single-family residences in semi-rural settings to high-density multi-family mixed-use communities, student housing, mobile home parks, and senior care facilities. The City’s boundaries cover 24 square miles, and an additional 8 square miles are within the San Marcos Fire District. The City is responsible for public services with exception of utilities, which is handled by a utility company, as well as the water and sewer services, which is administered by an independent special district. An extensive water system, including numerous above ground water storage tanks, pump stations, transfer valves, and water treatment facilities are located in San Marcos. The San Marcos Fire Protection District is a subsidiary district of the City and provides fire and paramedic services to the City and the unincorporated area of the Fire Protection District.

San Marcos is located within 30 miles of the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. It is also centrally located between several high profile military installations including Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, USMC Miramar Air Station, North Island Naval Air Station, USMC Marine Corp Recruit Depot, Naval Submarine Base San Diego, and the US Naval Weapons Station at Fallbrook. Educational institutions include California State University San Marcos, Palomar College, the University of St. Augustine, and the University of Phoenix. The San Marcos Unified School District operates 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 4 high schools. The combined student population for all educational facilities within the City of San Marcos is approximately 70,183.

The Oceanside to Escondido Light Rail “Sprinter” operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD) operates 64 daily trips through San Marcos. Additionally, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) operates a railroad line through San Marcos. San Marcos lies within the flight path, specifically the “final approach” of McCllean-Palomar Airport located west of San Marcos. That airport sees approximately 160,887 flights per year. San Marcos has a number of wildland urban interface fire planning areas including Coronado Hills, Twin Oaks Valley, and “P” Mountain. Radio stations located in the San Diego Metropolitan area serve San Marcos.

SECTION ONE | Determine the Planning Area and Resources 2 1.2. Community Rating System Requirements
The Community Rating System (CRS) is a FEMA program and rewards communities that go beyond the minimum standards for floodplain management under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Communities can potentially improve their Community Rating System and lower NFIP premiums by developing a CRS Plan. The City of San Marcos is a participant in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) (Since 1972).

For more information on the National Flood Insurance Program, see http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program.

Community Rating System
(CRS) Planning Steps
Local Mitigation
Planning
Handbook Tasks
(44 CFR Part 201)

Step 1. Organize
Task 1: Determine the Planning Area and
Resources
Task 2: Build the Planning
Team 44 CFR 201.6(c)(1)

Step 2. Involve the public
Task 3: Create an Outreach Strategy
44 CFR 201.6(b)(1)

Step 3. Coordinate
Task 4: Review Community Capabilities
44 CFR 201.6(b)(2) & (3)
Step 4. Assess the hazard Task 5: Conduct a Risk
Assessment 44 CFR
201.6(c)(2)(i)
44 CFR 201.6(c)(2)(ii) & (iii)

Step 5. Assess the problem
Step 6. Set goals Task 6: Develop a Mitigation
Strategy 44 CFR 201.6(c)(3)(i)
44 CFR 201.6(c)(3)(ii)
44 CFR 201.6(c)(3)(iii)
Step 7. Review possible activities

Step 8. Draft an action plan

Step 9. Adopt the plan
Task 8: Review and Adopt the Plan
44 CFR 201.6(c)(5)

Step 10. Implement, evaluate, revise
Task 7: Keep the Plan Current
Task 9: Create a Safe and Resilient
Community 44 CFR 201.6(c)(4)
TABLE 1: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 1.1 DESCRIBES THE CRS REQUIREMENTS MET BY THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY MULTI -JURISDICTIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN .

Any jurisdiction or special district may participate in the hazard mitigation planning process.

However, to request FEMA approval, each of the local jurisdictions must meet all requirements of 44 CFR §201.6. In addition to the requirement for participation in the process, the Federal regulation specifies the following requirements for multi-jurisdictional plans:
• The risk assessment must assess each jurisdiction’s risk where they may vary from the risks facing the entire planning area. (44 CFR §201.6(c)(2)(iii)) • There must be identifiable action items specific to the jurisdiction requesting FEMA approval or credit of the plan. (44 CFR §201.6(c)(3)(iv))
SECTION ONE | Determine the Planning Area and Resources 3 • Each jurisdiction requesting approval of the plan must document that is has been formally adopted. (44 CFR §201.6(c)(5))
The hazard mitigation plan must clearly list the jurisdictions that participated in the plan and are seeking plan approval. The San Diego County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and annexes meet all requirements.

SECTION THREE | Create an Outreach Strategy
4 2. SECTION TWO: Build the Planning
Team

2.1. Planning Participants

Plan Lead:

Jamie Smith, Emergency Manager, Fire Department
Planning Team:

Bill Fredrick, Division Chief, Fire Department
Dan Barron, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Dean White, Division Chief, Fire Department
Heather Todd, EMS & Administrative Services Manager, Fire Department Isaac Etchamendy, Director of Development Services, Development Services Jack Griffin, City Manager
Jason Nailon, Fire Marshall, Fire Department
John Taitano, Chief Innovation Officer, Information Technology Lisa Fowler, Finance Director, Finance Department
Michelle Bender, Assistant City Manager
Rafe Cesmat, Management Analyst, Public Works – Stormwater Reed Thornberry, Watershed Program Manager, Public Works

2.2. Planning Process

See the San Diego County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan’s Section Two for details about the county-wide Planning Process.

SECTION THREE | Create an Outreach Strategy
5 City of San Marcos Internal Planning Process:

The City frequently assesses prioritization of critical projects to include integration of hazard mitigation planning. Evidence of these processes include the interdepartmental General Plan and Climate Action Plan. Moreover, efforts such as the Capital Improvement Program, Building & Code Compliance, or specific city commission, committee, and boards, provide consistent collaborative identification of city priorities:

Budget Review Committee Planning Commission
Climate Action Plan Working Group San Marcos Creek Specific Plan Oversight Committee Community Foundation Student and Neighborhood Relations Commission General Plan Advisory Committee Traffic Commission
General Plan Update Youth Commission
Parks and Recreations Commission

Specifically regarding wildfire mitigation prioritization of goals, the San Marcos Fire Department contributes to multiple interdepartmental and regional planning efforts as well as the City’s General Plan. The General Plan addresses wildland fire risk reduction and prevention, how to minimize fire hazards resulting from structural fires, and hazard mitigation efforts through policies within the Safety Element as well as the Land Use and Community Design Element, Conservation and Open Space Element, and Mobility Element. SMFD protects and manages several thousand acres of wildland and urban wildland interface areas. See the Conservation and Open Space Element of our General Plan for further discussion on the San Marcos Fire Department urban wildland fire management planning.

The hazard mitigation planning team assessed hazards with current data and identified/updated new goals for this 2023 regional hazard mitigation plan. Various formats of meetings took place over 2021 and 2022: teleconference, videoconference, and in person meetings at city hall throughout this plans formation. In addition to whole team meetings, the Emergency Manager held one-on-one meetings with key staff in lead City departments to discuss previous accomplishments and new goals/objectives in hazard mitigation. Additionally, each key department held internal meetings to discuss new priority mitigation actions as associated tasks that will help to accomplish the objectives. Each department discussed key elements of the priority actions to determine if they are feasible, set reasonable expectations, brainstorm implementation costs and timelines.

Each new goal and priority action was vetted and decided by the team, which is displayed in section 6 of this plan. Compressive team work within each department contributed not only to the update of previous priority actions, but provided collaboration for submitting the well-rounded current plan’s priority actions in section 6. Within each goal there are several priority actions that will be taken for further integration of mitigation efforts (as it relates to each goal). Integration of this plan into other city plans is described in the integration chart in section 7.

SECTION THREE | Create an Outreach Strategy
6 3. SECTION THREE: Create an
Outreach Strategy

See the San Diego County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan’s Section Three for details about the county-wide outreach strategy.

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
7 4. SECTION FOUR: Review Community
Capabilities

Local mitigation capabilities are existing authorities, policies, programs, and resources that reduce hazard impacts or that could be used to implement hazard mitigation activities, and must be included in a hazard mitigation plan by the planning team.

The planning team also may identify additional types of capabilities relevant to mitigation planning.

4.1. Capability Assessment
The primary types of capabilities for reducing long-term vulnerability through mitigation planning are:
• Planning and regulatory
• Administrative and technical
• Financial
• Education and outreach

4.1.1. Planning and Regulatory
Planning and regulatory capabilities are the plans, policies, codes, and ordinances that prevent and reduce the impacts of hazards. Please indicate which of the following your jurisdiction has in place:

Plans Yes/No
Year
Does the plan address hazards?
Does the plan identify projects to include in the
mitigation strategy?
Can the plan be used to implement mitigation
actions?
Comprehensive/Master Plan Yes
2012
Yes/Yes/Yes: Section on “Safety Element”
Capital Improvements Plan Yes
2022
Yes, Projects can be added to the CIP plan that
address mitigation projects. Formerly from the last
plan update the priority action of the Creek Project
was woven into the CIP. Moving forward Station 5
from Section 6 will be in the CIP update.

Economic Development Plan No The General Plan contains a section for economic development that the city uses in place of a stand-
alone economic plan.

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
8 Local Emergency Operations Plan Yes Yes, No, Yes.

The EOP outlines priority processes, staff, and
facilities, needed to properly respond and recovery
from all hazards. As San Marcos Emergency
Management updates the EOP in 2023, we will look
at gaps we need to mitigate for proactive functions.

Continuity of Operations Plan Yes Yes, preparedness and response to all hazards including cyber hazards are addressed in the plan.

Transportation Plan Yes Yes, part of General Plan that also identifies hazards.

Storm water Management Plan Yes Yes, Drainage master plan addresses localized drainage and flooding areas.

Through public education and outreach, the Storm
Water Management section ensures that all residents,
businesses, and municipal departments are familiar
with federal, state and local laws and regulations
pertaining to storm water quality issues and comply
with those laws and regulations. In this current
update, you’ll find a storm water project within our
new priority actions in Section 6.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan Yes Yes, in great detail. As wildfire is our highest threat identified in section 5, several priority actions in
section 6 of this update address Wildfire protection
mitigation.

M. Real estate disclosure requirements No No
Other special plans (e.g., brownfields
redevelopment, disaster recovery, coastal
zone management, climate change
adaptation)
Yes Climate Action Plan, Wildland Urban Interface Plans

Building Code, Permitting, and
Inspections
Yes/No Are codes adequately enforced?
Building Code Yes Version/Year:2019 California Building Codes
Fire department ISO rating Yes Rating: Class 1
SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
9 Site plan review requirements Yes Site plans are required which show all structures on property and setbacks

Land Use Planning and Ordinances

Yes/No
Is the ordinance an effective measure
for reducing hazard impacts?
Is the ordinance adequately
administered and enforced?
Zoning ordinance Yes Yes/Yes
Subdivision ordinance Yes Yes/Yes
Special purpose ordinances (floodplain
management, storm water management,
hillside or steep slope ordinances, wildfire
ordinances, hazard setback requirements)
Yes Yes/Yes
Growth management ordinances (also called
“smart growth” or anti-sprawl programs)
Yes Yes/Yes
Flood insurance rate maps Yes Yes/Yes
Acquisition of land for open space and
public recreation uses
Yes Yes/Yes
Other
How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? Future opportunities for regulatory enhancement should focus on integration in the city-wide planning efforts, including amending the City of San Marcos General Plan Safety Element to incorporate the 2023- 2027 San Diego County MJHMP and City of San Marcos Annex by reference.

TABLE 2: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.1 DATA.

4.1.2. Administrative and Technical
Administrative and technical capabilities include staff and their skills and tools that can be used for mitigation planning and to implement specific mitigation actions. For smaller jurisdictions without local staff resources, if there are public resources at the next higher-level government that can provide technical assistance, indicate so in your comments:

Administration Yes/No Describe capability
Is coordination effective?
Planner(s) or engineer(s) with knowledge of
land development and land management
practices

Yes Planners and Engineers at the City have the
ability to assess projects that warrant review
from the Fire Department. Coordination is
effective.

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
10 Engineer(s) or professional(s) trained in
construction practices related to buildings
and/or infrastructure

Yes Building Official, Senior Inspector, Building
Inspectors are trained in construction
practices related to buildings
Planners or Engineer(s) with an
understanding of natural and/or manmade
hazards
Yes Planners and Engineers at the City have the
ability to assess projects that warrant review
from the Fire Department. Coordination is
effective.

Mitigation Planning Committee No .

Maintenance programs to reduce risk (e.g.,
tree trimming, clearing drainage systems)
Yes Public works undertakes regular maintenance
of facilities and coordinates with multiple
departments
Mutual aid agreements Yes Yes
Staff Yes/No FT/PT1 Is staffing adequate to enforce regulations? Is staff trained on hazards and mitigation?
Is coordination between agencies and staff
effective?
Chief Building Official Yes; FT Yes, Yes, Yes
Floodplain Administrator Yes, FT Yes, Yes, Yes
Emergency Manager Yes, FT Yes, Yes, Yes
Surveyors Yes, PT/Cons. Yes, Yes, Yes
Staff with education or expertise to assess
the community’s vulnerability to hazards
Yes. FT Yes, Yes, Yes
Community Planner Yes, FT Yes, Yes, Yes
Scientists familiar with the hazards of the
community
No

Civil Engineer Yes Yes, Yes, Yes
Personnel skilled in GIS and/or HAZUS Yes Yes, Yes, Yes SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
11 Grant writers Yes Yes, Yes, Yes
Other
How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? Other future enhancements may include providing hazard training for staff or hazard mitigation grant funding in partnership with San Diego County and Cal OES. Existing City staff are aware of the benefits of participating in training and webinars offered by Cal OES Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Team related to HMGP opportunities, HMGP Sub application Development support, and other funding programs. Other opportunities may be related to coordinating and educating key stakeholders in the City. Other stakeholders may be interested in aligning efforts related to hazard mitigation and also supporting HMGP Sub applications and other hazard mitigation trainings.

TABLE 3:FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.1 DATA CONTINUED.

4.1.3. Financial
Identify whether your jurisdiction has access to or is eligible to use the following funding resources for hazard mitigation:

Funding Resource Access/
Eligibility
(Yes/No)
Has the funding resource been used in past and
for what type of activities?
Could the resource be used to fund future
mitigation actions?
Community Development Block Grants
(CDBG)
Yes No, it has not been used for mitigation activities in the past. Potentially, but only for CDBG
allowable/programmed activities.

Capital improvements project funding Yes No. Potentially, if funding is available and approved by Council.

Authority to levy taxes for specific
purposes
Yes No. Potentially, but would Voter Approval (2/3 of
all voters, simple majority of property owners for
assessments).

Fees for water, sewer, gas, or electric
service

N/A N/A
Impact fees for homebuyers or developers
for new developments/homes
Yes No. No.

Incur debt through general obligation
bonds
Yes No. No.

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
12 Incur debt through special tax and revenue
bonds
Yes No. No.

Incur debt through private activity bonds No No. No.

How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? The City can update other plans, such as their CIP to incorporate hazard information and include hazard mitigation actions and climate adaptation strategies that relate to infrastructure systems resiliency. Once projects related to hazard mitigation are approved, the recent CIP can be shared with the community on the City’s webpage. Capital investments and improvements related to systems or infrastructure upgrades should all be emphasized in the outreach materials as they are related to hazard mitigation. Additionally, the City could apply for HMGP grants to fund implementation costs associated with key CIP projects, and related projects in the City’s mitigation strategy. These fiscal capabilities may be supported by City staff or augmented with Consultant staff.

TABLE 4: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.1 DATA CONTINUED.

4.1.4. Education and Outreach
Identify education and outreach programs and methods already in place that could be used to implement mitigation activities and communicate hazard-related information:

Program/Organization

Yes/No
Describe program/organization and how relates
to disaster resilience and mitigation.

Could the program/organization help implement
future mitigation activities?
Local citizen groups or non-profit
organizations focused on environmental
protection, emergency preparedness,
access and functional needs populations,
etc.

Yes San Marcos Fire hosts a Community Emergency
Response Team. We are currently seeking funds to
explore a Listos component to this program.

Ongoing public education or information
program (e.g., responsible water use, fire
safety, household preparedness,
environmental education)
Yes Through a variety of exposure, we provide public
outreach campaigns to educate. Topics include fire
safety, hazard identification, where to get
information, and overall preparedness. We also
promote the San Diego Emergency App for
preparing, responding, and recovering, from all
hazards.

Natural disaster or safety related school
programs
Yes Our Emergency Management Program and
Prevention Program have elements of school
presentations.

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
13 StormReady certification No Yes we could look into integrating this into our county organized disaster plans.

Firewise Communities certification No San Marcos Fire Prevention utilizes “Ready, Set, Go” programs for our communities.

Yes, we can look at promoting Firewise in the
future.

Public-private partnership initiatives
addressing disaster-related issues
Yes The San Marcos EOC would coordinate through the
Operational Area to activate the VOAD. Moreover,
we are looking forward to the state AB1568
platform to enhance this capability.

Other Our San Marcos Fire Prevention has been nationally recognized in 2022 for their smoke alarm program
“Life Save” by the American Red Cross.

How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? The City can also expand their outreach capabilities related to the implementation of the County MJHMP and the City of San Marcos Annex. Specific enhancements may include continued public involvement through social media posts and advertisements focused on projects successes related to the Annex Mitigation Strategy. The City can also integrate topics from this plan into various appropriate committees as spoken of in section 2.

TABLE 5: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.1 DATA CONTINUED.

4.2. Safe Growth Audit
Identify gaps in your community’s growth guidance instruments and improvements that could be made to reduce vulnerability to future development:

Comprehensive Plan Yes No
Land Use

1. Does the future land-use map clearly identify natural hazard areas? X The land use map does not. However, the Safety Element of the City’s General Plan does clearly identify natural hazard areas.

2. Do the land-use policies discourage development or redevelopment within natural hazard areas?
X
Both the City’s Zoning Ordinance and General Plan provide strict requirements and policies regarding development within natural hazard areas.

3. Does the plan provide adequate space for expected future growth in areas located outside natural hazard areas?
X
SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
14 Yes. The City’s land use map and zoning map work to guide higher density development outside of natural hazard areas.

Transportation

1. Does the transportation plan limit access to hazard areas? X

2. Is transportation policy used to guide growth to safe locations? X

3. Are movement systems designed to function under disaster conditions (e.g., evacuation)?
X

TABLE 6: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.2 DATA.

Comprehensive Plan (continued) Yes No
Environmental Management

1. Are environmental systems that protect development from hazards identified and mapped?
X

2. Do environmental policies maintain and restore protective ecosystems? X

3. Do environmental policies provide incentives to development that is located outside protective ecosystems?
X

Public Safety

1. Are the goals and policies of the comprehensive plan related to those of the FEMA Local Hazard Mitigation Plan?
X

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
15 2. Is safety explicitly included in the plan’s growth and development policies? X Yes. San Marcos was impacted by the 2014 wildfires in San Diego County. As stated in the city’s General Plan, Public Safety is “a fundamental responsibility of the City is the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare of residents and their property. [Public Safety], a state-mandated element of the General Plan, addresses this responsibility by identifying and planning for anticipated natural and human-caused safety issues affecting the City and its residents.” This Hazard Mitigation Plan addresses these priorities regionally and locally.

3. Does the monitoring and implementation section of the plan cover safe growth objectives?
X
The regional approach to monitoring this plan is being improved.

TABLE 7: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.2 DATA CONTINUED.

Zoning Ordinance Yes No

1. Does the zoning ordinance conform to the comprehensive plan in terms of discouraging development or redevelopment within natural hazard areas? X

2. Does the ordinance contain natural hazard overlay zones that set conditions for land use within such zones?
X

3. Do rezoning procedures recognize natural hazard areas as limits on zoning changes that allow greater intensity or density of use? X

4. Does the ordinance prohibit development within, or filling of, wetlands, floodways, and floodplains?
X
Strict requirements are applied to projects and developments within these areas.

Subdivision Regulations Yes No

1. Do the subdivision regulations restrict the subdivision of land within or adjacent to natural hazard areas?
X
SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
16 2. Do the regulations provide for conservation subdivisions or cluster subdivisions in order to conserve environmental resources?
X

3. Do the regulations allow density transfers where hazard areas exist? X This is not addressed
TABLE 8: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.2 DATA CONTINUED.

Capital Improvement Program and Infrastructure Policies Yes No

1. Does the capital improvement program limit expenditures on projects that would encourage development in areas vulnerable to natural hazards? X

2. Do infrastructure policies limit extension of existing facilities and services that would encourage development in areas vulnerable to natural hazards? X

3. Does the capital improvement program provide funding for hazard mitigation projects identified in the FEMA Mitigation Plan?
X
Other Yes No

1. Do small area or corridor plans recognize the need to avoid or mitigation natural hazards?
X

2. Does the building code contain provisions to strengthen or elevate construction to withstand hazard forces?
X

SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
17 3. Do economic development or redevelopment strategies include provisions for mitigation natural hazards?
X

4. Is there an adopted evacuation and shelter plan to deal with emergencies from natural hazards?
X

TABLE 9: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.2 DATA CONTINUED.

Questions were adapted from Godschalk, David R. Practice Safe Growth Audits, Zoning Practice, Issue Number 10, October 2009, American Planning Association.

4.3. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
The City of San Marcos is a participant in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) (Since 1972). This program provides flood insurance for structures located within the floodplain areas in the city and as designated by FEMA. San Marcos manages the permitting of any proposed developments and improvements within the floodplain areas per the FEMA guidelines and requirements, State of California Department of Water Resources Model Floodplain Management Ordinance, and keeps up to date copies of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). These maps are used to assist constituents in answering their questions regarding the 100-year flood elevations and boundaries within the floodplain areas. Any proposed changes to these maps are processed by the City through FEMA.

NFIP Topic Source of Information Comments
Insurance Summary
How many NFIP policies are in the
community? What is the total
premium and coverage?
State NFIP Coordinator
or FEMA NFIP
Specialist
*220 policies with a total coverage value
of $62,714,000

*as of 2016
How many claims have been paid
in the community? What is the
total amount of paid claims? How
many of the claims were for
substantial damage?
FEMA NFIP or
Insurance Specialist
*12 claims totaling $92,269

*as of 2016
How many structures are exposed
to flood risk within the
community?
Community Floodplain
Administrator (FPA)
It is unknown the total number of
structures in the SFHA
Describe any areas of flood risk
with limited NFIP policy coverage
Community FPA and
FEMA Insurance
Specialist
The City is not aware of any areas with
limited NFIP policy coverage
SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
18 Reoccurring Loss Properties
Identified by the County of San
Diego
1 Residential According to the 2022 FEMA Repetitive
Loss Summary Report from the county,
San Marcos has 1 Repetitive Loss
properties, and 0 Severe Repetitive Loss
properties.

Staff Resources
Is the Community FPA or NFIP
Coordinator certified?
Community FPA No
Is floodplain management an
auxiliary function?
Community FPA Yes
Provide an explanation of NFIP
administration services (e.g., permit
review, GIS, education or outreach,
inspections, engineering capability)
Community FPA Permit Review, GIS, MT-1 and MT-2
support
What are the barriers to running an
effective NFIP program in the
community, if any?
Community FPA N/A
Compliance History
Is the community in good standing
with the NFIP?
State NFIP Coordinator,
FEMA NFIP Specialist,
community records
Yes
Are there any outstanding
compliance issues (i.e., current
violations)?
No
When was the most recent
Community Assistance Visit (CAV)
or Community Assistance Contact
(CAC)?
August 1, 2016
Is a CAV or CAC scheduled or
needed?
No
TABLE 10: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.3 DATA.

NFIP Topic Source of Information Comments
Regulation
When did the community enter the
NFIP?
Community Status Book
http://www.fema.gov/
national-flood-insurance-
program/national-flood-

1/7/72
SECTION FOUR | Review Community Capabilities
19 insurance-program-
community-status-book
Are the FIRMs digital or paper? Community FPA Digital

Do floodplain development
regulations meet or exceed FEMA
or State minimum requirements? If
so, in what ways?
Community FPA Exceeds, City requires 2’ freeboard for development in the SFHA

Provide an explanation of the
permitting process.

Community FPA, State,

FEMA NFIP
Development permits are reviewed by the
Land Development Engineering
department to verify whether or not
project is within the FEMA SFHA.

Additional conditions of approval and/or
building permits requirements are added
as needed
Flood Insurance Manual
http://www.fema.gov/
flood-insurance-manual
Community FPA, FEMA
CRS Coordinator, ISO
representative
Community Rating System (CRS)
Does the community participate in
CRS?
Community FPA, State,

FEMA NFIP
No
What is the community’s CRS Class
Ranking?
Flood Insurance Manual
http://www.fema.gov/
flood-insurance-manual
N/A
What categories and activities
provide CRS points and how can the
class be improved?
N/A
Does the plan include CRS planning
requirements
Community FPA, FEMA
CRS Coordinator, ISO
representative
N/A
TABLE 11: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 4.3 DATA CONTINUED.

SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
20 5. SECTION FIVE: Conduct a Risk Assessment
The planning team conducts a risk assessment to determine the potential impacts of hazards to the people, economy, and built and natural environments of the community. The risk assessment provides the foundation for the rest of the mitigation planning process, which is focused on identifying and prioritizing actions to reduce risk to hazards. The list of priority hazards was determined by the Local Hazard Mitigation Planning Team using jurisdictional-level hazard maps and data, historical records, vulnerability assessments, and input from subject matter experts.

In addition to informing the mitigation strategy, the risk assessment also can be used to establish emergency preparedness and response priorities, for land use and comprehensive planning, and for decision making by elected officials, city and county departments, businesses, and organizations in the community. The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services provided the data as it relates to the table detailing exposed populations and potential costs on page 27.

Wildfire is our highest ranked profiled hazard. Drought, Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Sea Level Rise, Severe Wind, and Severe Winter Weather are combined under the Climate Change profile below. The Dam Failure profile is not included, even though having a medium ranking, because the water district is undergoing a risk assessment and emergency action plan process for this hazard currently and is including the city in that process. It’s likely the hazard will be profiled in the next plan update to include the district’s most recent planning efforts. Below find the ranking and profiling San Marcos has included.

5.1. Hazards Summary
Hazard Location
(Geographic Area
Affected)
Maximum Probable
Extent (Magnitude/Strength)
Probability of Future
Events
Overall Significance
Ranking
Avalanche Negligible Weak Unlikely Low
Climate Change (Drought,
Extreme Cold, Extreme
Heat, Sea Level Rise,
Severe Wind, Severe Winter
Weather)
Significant Moderate Likely Medium
Dam Failure Extensive Severe Unlikely Medium
Earthquake Significant Severe Likely Medium
Erosion Limited Weak Unlikely Low
Expansive Soils Extensive Weak Unlikely Low
Flood Significant Moderate Occasional Medium
Hail Extensive Weak Unlikely Low
SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
21 Summarize hazard description information and identify which hazards are most significant to the planning area:
• Wildfire: A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels and exposing or possibly consuming structures. They often begin unnoticed and spread quickly. Naturally occurring and non-native species of grasses, brush, and trees fuel wildfires.

A wildfire is in a wildland area in which development is essentially nonexistent—except for roads, railroads, power lines and similar facilities. An Urban-Wildland/Urban Interface fire is a wildfire in a geographical area where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with wildland or vegetative fuels. Significant development in San Diego County is located along canyon ridges at the wildland/urban interface. Areas that have experienced prolonged droughts or are excessively dry are at risk of wildfires.

In 2014, San Marcos was directly impacted by the Cocos Fire burning a total of 2,000 acres. In 2017, San Marcos was threatened by the Lilac Fire burning 4,000 acres in neighboring jurisdictions. Drought and excessive heat are impacting the vulnerability of San Marcos to wildfire. The city sees wildfire as:
o Probability of Future Events Highly Likely: 90 to 100 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of less than 1 year. o Overall Significance High: The criteria consistently fall in the high classifications and the event is likely/highly likely to occur with severe strength over a significant to extensive portion of the planning area.

Below see the fire model of North Twin Oaks in San Marcos taken from our Wildland Interface Preplans (priority action completed from 2018 mitigation plan: see section 7). This scenario is a common setting the area is put into with less than 10% humidity and 25 mph winds. This is a personification of why this hazard is San Marcos’s highest rated hazard:

Hurricane Negligible Weak Unlikely Low
Landslide Limited Moderate Unlikely Low
Lightning Extensive Weak Unlikely Low
Storm Surge Negligible Weak Unlikely Low
Subsidence Extensive Weak Unlikely Low
Tornado Negligible Weak Unlikely Low
Tsunami Negligible Weak Unlikely Low
Wildfire Significant Extreme Likely High
SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
22 SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
23 • Flood: Flooding occurs when excess water from snowmelt, rainfall, or storm surge accumulates and overflows onto a river’s bank or to adjacent floodplains. Floodplains are lowlands adjacent to rivers, lakes, and oceans that are subject to recurring floods. Most injuries and deaths from flood occur when people are swept away by flood currents, and property damage typically occurs as a result of inundation by sediment-filled water.

Within the 2018 mitigation plan, the city had a priority action for a major flood mitigation project call “the creek project” which is successfully improving impacts to the flood plan in that area (as seen with recent storms in 2022). Updates on this project can be seen in Section 7 of this 2023 plan.
o Probability of Future Events Occasional: 1 to 10 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of 11 to 100 years. o Overall Significance Medium: The criteria fall mostly in the middle ranges of classifications and the event’s impacts on the planning area are noticeable but not devastating. This rating is sometimes used for hazards with a high extent rating but very low probability rating.
• Earthquake: An earthquake is a sudden motion or trembling that is caused by a release of strain accumulated within or along the edge of the Earth's tectonic plates. The effects of an earthquake can be felt far beyond the site of its occurrence. They usually occur without warning and, after just a few seconds, can cause massive damage and extensive casualties. Common effects of earthquakes are ground motion and shaking, surface fault ruptures, and ground failure. Ground motion is the vibration or shaking of the ground during an earthquake. Since the last plan update, no impacts from Earthquakes have occurred. Moreover, as seen in the county base plan mapping of the local faults, San Marcos is not in a high impact zone.
o Probability of Future Events Likely: 10 to 90 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of 1 to 10 years o Overall Significance Medium: The criteria fall mostly in the middle ranges of classifications and the event’s impacts on the planning area are noticeable but not devastating. This rating is sometimes used for hazards with a high extent rating but very low probability rating.

Medium risk based upon known faults and projected peak accelerations in San Marcos as a result of a Rose Canyon fault which is 12.4 miles (19.9 km) from San Marcos Civic Center. Modeling done by the county has provided for mapping of the impacts to the city, though no recent activity has activated the emergency operations center. While San Marcos would provide mutual aid to majorly impacted local jurisdictions and unincorporated areas identified in base plan’s high risk areas, San Marcos itself is a younger city that enforces strong building codes which can successfully sustain current models of impact.

SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
24 Since the last plan, this hazard has gone from High to Medium based on new modeling provided. An example of this data would be the 100 year earthquake potential in the following charts of section 5: 0 residential, 0 commercial, 0 critical infrastructure, have been identified to be impacted in San Marcos. While the hazard would impact the region, it would not directly “highly” impact San Marcos, hence the change to Medium.

• Climate Change (Drought, Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Sea Level Rise, Severe Wind, Severe Winter Weather): Climate change is not a hazard in and of itself, but rather is a factor that could affect the location, extent, probability of occurrence, and magnitude of climate-related hazards. While Climate Change is a “High” threat, the hazards within the umbrella vary from low, medium, and high. Medium ranked hazards (Drought, Extreme Heat, Severe Wind, Severe Winter Weather) that are listed in the chart are combined under the Climate Change profile below.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increased global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level. The overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that

SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
25 human activities, especially burning of fossil fuels, are responsible for most of the global warming observed.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography planning partners define Climate Change as any systematic change in the long-term statistics of climate elements and weather events (such as temperature, pressure, or winds) sustained over several decades or longer.

Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. o Climate Change Considerations (as stated in Base Plan)- The most extreme events are going to become more extreme regarding climate change effects. These events are primarily atmospheric rivers and will become more so in the future based on global climate models (Gershunov et al., 2019). In addition, the increase in sea level increases the potential for severe flooding caused by the occurrence of coastal and inland flooding. Coastal flooding can cause pollution of coastal waters (Aguilera et al., 2019).

The highest priority mitigation actions to reduce Climate Change impacts on this hazard should include preparation, with strong attention to weather forecasts, assessing infrastructure flooding vulnerability, and developing plans to mitigate flood severity and frequency. Extremes in weather and its effects such as cold, heat, and drought, while their individual profiles are not listed, are captured under this factor.

TABLE 12: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 5.1 DATA.

Definitions for Classifications
Location (Geographic Area Affected)
• Negligible: Less than 10 percent of planning area or isolated single-point occurrences • Limited: 10 to 25 percent of the planning area or limited single-point occurrences • Significant: 25 to 75 percent of planning area or frequent single-point occurrences • Extensive: 75 to 100 percent of planning area or consistent single-point occurrences Maximum Probable Extent (Magnitude/Strength based on historic events or future probability)
• Weak: Limited classification on scientific scale, slow speed of onset or short duration of event, resulting in little to no damage
• Moderate: Moderate classification on scientific scale, moderate speed of onset or moderate duration of event, resulting in some damage and loss of services for days • Severe: Severe classification on scientific scale, fast speed of onset or long duration of event, resulting in devastating damage and loss of services for weeks or months • Extreme: Extreme classification on scientific scale, immediate onset or extended duration of event, resulting in catastrophic damage and uninhabitable conditions

SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
26 Probability of Future Events
• Unlikely: Less than 1 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of greater than every 100 years.
• Occasional: 1 to 10 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of 11 to 100 years.
• Likely: 10 to 90 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of 1 to 10 years
• Highly Likely: 90 to 100 percent probability of occurrence in the next year or a recurrence interval of less than 1 year.

Overall Significance
• Low: Two or more criteria fall in lower classifications, or the event has a minimal impact on the planning area. This rating is sometimes used for hazards with a minimal or unknown record of occurrences or for hazards with minimal mitigation potential. • Medium: The criteria fall mostly in the middle ranges of classifications and the event’s impacts on the planning area are noticeable but not devastating. This rating is sometimes used for hazards with a high extent rating but very low probability rating. • High: The criteria consistently fall in the high classifications and the event is likely/highly likely to occur with severe strength over a significant to extensive portion of the planning area.
o Cumulative meteorological drought and wet conditions: http://ncdc.noaa.gov/ o Earthquake intensity and effect on population and structures: http://earthquake.usgs.gov o Earthquake magnitude as a logarithmic scale, measured by a seismograph: http://earthquake.usgs.gov o Hurricane rating based on sustained wind speed: http://nhc.noaa.gov o Tornado rating based on wind speed and associated damage: http://spc.noaa.gov

Hazard Scale / Index Weak Moderate Severe Extreme
Drought Palmer Drought Severity Index3 -1.99 to
+1.99
-2.00 to
-2.99
-3.00 to
-3.99
-4.00 and
below

Earthquake
Modified Mercalli Scale4 I to IV V to VII VII IX to XII Richter Magnitude5 2, 3 4, 5 6 7, 8
Hurricane Wind Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale6 1 2 3 4, 5 Tornado Fujita Tornado Damage Scale7 F0 F1, F2 F3 F4, F5 SECTION FIVE | Conduct a Risk Assessment
27 SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
28 6. SECTION SIX: Develop a Mitigation
Strategy
The mitigation strategy serves as the long-term blueprint for reducing potential losses identified in the risk assessment. The mitigation strategy describes how the community will accomplish the overall purpose, or mission, of the planning process.

The mitigation strategy is made up of three main required components: mitigation goals, mitigation actions, and an action plan for implementation. These provide the framework to identify, prioritize, and implement actions to reduce risk to hazards.

Mitigation goals are general guidelines that explain what the community wants to achieve with the plan they are usually broad policy-type statements that are long-term, and they represent visions for reducing or avoiding losses from the identified hazards Mitigation actions are specific projects and activities that help achieve the goals.

The action plan describes how the mitigation actions will be implemented, including how those actions will be prioritized, administered, and incorporated into the community’s existing planning mechanisms. In a multi-jurisdictional plan, each jurisdiction must have an action plan specific to that jurisdiction and its vulnerabilities.

Although not required, some communities choose to develop objectives to help define or organize mitigation actions. Objectives are broader than specific actions, but are measurable, unlike goals. Objectives connect goals with the actual mitigation actions

6.1. Mitigation Action Evaluation
Example Evaluation Criteria:
• Life Safety – How effective will the action be at protecting lives and preventing injuries?
• Property Protection – How significant will the action be at eliminating or reducing damage to structures and infrastructure?
• Technical – Is the mitigation action technically feasible? Is it a long-term solution? Eliminate actions that, from a technical standpoint, will not meet the goals. • Political – Is there overall public support for the mitigation action? Is there the political will to support it?
• Legal – Does the community have the authority to implement the action? • Environmental – What are the potential environmental impacts of the action? Will it comply with environmental regulations?
• Social – Will the proposed action adversely affect one segment of the population? Will the action disrupt established neighborhoods, break up voting districts, or cause the relocation of lower income people?
• Administrative – Does the community have the personnel and administrative capabilities to implement the action and maintain it or will outside help be necessary? SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
29 • Local Champion – Is there a strong advocate for the action or project among local departments and agencies that will support the action’s implementation? • Other Community Objectives – Does the action advance other community objectives, such as capital improvements, economic development, environmental quality, or open space preservation? Does it support the policies of the comprehensive plan?

The City frequently assesses prioritization of critical projects to include all of the above listed evaluation criteria. Evidence of these processes include the interdepartmental General Plan and Climate Action Plan. Moreover, efforts such as the Capital Improvement Program, Building & Code Compliance, or specific city commission, committee, and boards, provide consistent collaborative identification of city priorities:

Budget Review Committee
Climate Action Plan Working Group
Community Foundation
General Plan Advisory Committee
General Plan Update
Parks and Recreations Commission
Planning Commission
San Marcos Creek Specific Plan Oversight Committee
Student and Neighborhood Relations Commission
Traffic Commission
Youth Commission

In the following section the hazard mitigation planning team identified/updated new goals for the 2023 regional plan. Various formats of meetings took place: teleconference, videoconference, and in person meetings. Within each goal there are several priority actions that will be taken for further integration of mitigation efforts (as it relates to each goal).

SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
30 6.2. Mitigation Action Implementation
A mitigation action is a specific action, project, activity, or process taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their impacts. Implementing mitigation actions helps achieve the plan’s mission and goals. The actions to reduce vulnerability to threats and hazards form the core of the plan and are a key outcome of the planning process.

Mitigation actions will be reviewed on an annual basis to track progress and effectiveness.

Mitigation actions will be completed, revised, or removed with every five-year update of the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The city of San Marcos is abide by the direction to participate in all activities in Sections 7.1-7.3 of the County Base Plan which identifies plans for keeping the 5 year planning cycle updated annually.

The mitigation actions listed below include information on the hazard identified, the primary issue, ideas for implementing the mitigation action and the lead and supporting agencies for ensuring its implementation.

The prioritized actions below reflect progress in local mitigation efforts as well as changes in development. This annex details the following mitigation action implementations:

GOAL: Advance understanding about the relationship between climate change and natural hazards while proactively implementing strategies and projects identified in the City’s Climate Action Plan.

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos
Priority Action/Project
Title:

Implement CAP Measures and Similar Measures to reduce Green House Gas Emissions.

Hazard: Climate Change related hazards (Drought, Extreme Heat, Extreme Cold, Sea Level Rise, Severe Wind, and Severe Winter Weather) Background/Issue: The City is in the process of implementing its adopted Climate Action Plan to conform to the State of California’s objectives of reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Ideas for Integration: Perform adaptation studies to identify and manage impacts resulting from hazards increasing as a result of climate change (eg. Increased fire intensity, frequency, extent) such as identification of high fire hazard areas and incentives and regulations to steer future development away from those areas. Also evaluate the effects and influences that urbanizing development will have in the City on hazards such as increase in temperatures, heat island effects and development and wildland fires interface.

Responsible Agency: City of San Marcos
Partners: All City Departments
Potential Funding: General Fund, Grants
SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
31 Cost Estimate: $20,000 - $250,000
Timeline: 10 –years, including the five years this plan is in affect 2023-2027 Priority: High
Worksheet Completed
by:

Isaac Etchamendy, Development Services

GOAL: Promote public awareness of hazard risk and mitigation of Wildfires.

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos Fire Department
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Wildfire Public Education
Hazard: Wildfire
Background/Issue: High Wildfire Severity Hazard within and around San Marcos. 2014 and 2017 were impacted in our operational North Zone by large wildfires, thusly creating a sustained need to keep the public prepared as the threat is severe specifically to wildfire.

Ideas for Integration: 1. Wildfire Awareness and Prevention Videos

2. Senior Mobile Home Park, Apartment, HOA Presentation including Wildfire Awareness Presentations

3. Social Media Wildfire Awareness Posts/Stories

4. Door to Door High Fire Zone Print

5. Community Town Hall Meetings withi n High Fire Zone communities [PACE]

Responsible Agency: San Marcos Fire Department
Partners: Local community groups, neighboring jurisdictions, other City departments Potential Funding: City General Fund, CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grant Cost Estimate: $50,000 ($10,000 annually)
SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
32 Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
Overall community awareness and resilience to wildfire, public relations Timeline: 2023-2027, Annually
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed by: (Name/Department) Jason Nailon, Fire Marshal, [email protected]

GOAL: Reduce the possibility of damage and losses to existing assets, particularly people, critical facilities/infrastructure, and City-owned facilities and assets, in an all-hazard approach (including wildfire, structure fire, water system contamination, and cyber-attacks) 7 priority actions
Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos Fire Department
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Wildfire Mitigation Program
Hazard Wildfire
Background/Issue: High Wildfire Severity Hazard
Ideas for Integration: 1. Proactive Inspection and Enforcement of defensible space within the high fire severity zones

2. Annual abatement of City maintained defensible space fuel breaks and vacant lots.

3. Continuous monitoring, assessment and enforcement of citizen wildfire concerns.

4. The City of San Marcos has ordinance 2019-1479 (codified in Municipal Code §17.64.240) that requires the maintenance of an effective fuel modification zone by removing, clearing or modifying away combustible vegetation and other flammable materials from areas within 150 feet from buildings or structures. To assist our citizens in complying with this ordinance, the San Marcos Fire Department has an annual vegetation management program in which properties are inspected to reduce overgrowth of such hazards. The Fire Department responds to all citizen inquiries that deal with fire and life safety issues. City maintained lots are assessed annually and are cut/abated on an as needed basis. This helps reduce potential hazards while increasing the livability of the community that we live in.

SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
33 Responsible Agency: San Marcos Fire Department
Partners: None
Potential Funding: City General Fund, CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grant Cost Estimate: Potential fuel management costs $160,000 / year Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
Wildfire resilient communities
Timeline: 2023-2027, Annually
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed by: (Name/Department) Jason Nailon, Fire Marshal, [email protected]

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Fire Station 5
Hazard: Wildfire, Flood, Earthquake
Background/Issue: The City of San Marcos has four fire stations, the last of which was built in 2008. Since that time, the department’s call volume has increased by 30% and shows no signs of slowing. In 2017, a Standards of Coverage study revealed that the San Marcos Fire Department needed two additional fire stations in order to keep up with the call volume and reduce to response times throughout the city. The City is currently planning and identify potential properties with the intent of constructing Fire Station #5.This to be located somewhere towards central corridor of the city.

Ideas for Integration: Fire Station #5 would provide greater resources to handle the general call volume in the city and it would provide significantly reduced response times to the North Las Posas / Esplendido (Vista)/ Buena Creek areas if they were to be impacted by a vegetation fire. The recent development to the North Las Posas area will provide direct access to the aforementioned areas. A fire station in the central corridor portion of the city will greatly reduce reflex and response times to all emergencies, including vegetation fires, which continue to be of great concern in that area.

Responsible Agency: San Marcos Fire Department
Partners: City Manager’s Office, Public Works, Development Services Potential Funding: General Fund, State and Federal Grants opportunities as they apply, Special funding

SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
34 Cost Estimate: ~$15,000,000
Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
Overall community awareness and resilience
Timeline: 2023-2027
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed by: (Name/Department)
Dean White, Division Chief, [email protected]

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Review, update, and validate pre-incident plans for high vulnerability Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas.

Hazard Wildfire
Background/Issue: Several WUI preplans in the City of San Marcos currently need to be updated including the South Twin Oaks, North Twins Oaks, and Central Twins Oaks plans.

Ideas for Integration: Previously, the City of San Marcos Fire Department hired a private contractor to update and/or create the current WUI preplans and we consider this a best practice. Pending any addition new wildland fires, addition updates may be necessary. The safety element of the General Plan could be impacted and need to be updated based on new modeling of wildfires.

Responsible Agency: San Marcos Fire Department
Partners: North Zone Fire Agencies, Cal Fire, Contractor Potential Funding: General Fund, Grants, Special funding Cost Estimate: Unknown
Benefits:
(Losses
Avoided)
Interagency Coordination
Timeline: 2023-2027
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed
by:
(Name/Department)
William Frederick, Division Chief, [email protected]

SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
35 Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Create and implement an Emergency Management program that complies with state and federal standards, as well as, integrates current best practices in training, regional partnership, EOC management, response, and recovery.

Hazard Wildfire, Flooding, Climate Change (Drought, Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Sea Level Rise, Severe Wind, Severe Winter Weather), Cyber Attack, Earthquake, Drought
Background/Issue: Fiscal year 21-22 included a new position within the Fire Department, Emergency Manager. Prior to this recruitment, duties for emergency management were assigned to a Battalion Chief. Due to irregularly volatile fire seasons in California, Battalion Chiefs within the department have been frequently deployed and tasked with wildfire response, leaving little time available to maintain an emergency management program. Having a full time Emergency Manager now creates space for a robust Emergency Management program in San Marcos.

Ideas for Integration: Priority tasks for integration include: Emergency Operations Center functionality assessments, community threat assessments, training design and execution, improving technological best practices, testing response and recovery systems, and seek out learning opportunities for the emergency manager to learn more regarding topics for EOC staff skill reinforcement.

Responsible Agency: San Marcos Fire Department
Partners: All Departments, regional partners, Cal OES, FEMA Potential Funding: State and Homeland Security annual grants and General fund Cost Estimate: Grants allow for ~$60,000 annually to be spent on a variety of elements such as training, drills, and EOC equipment updates.

Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
A trained staff force to respond and recover from all hazards. Another benefit of investing in this mitigation is the efficacy and continuity of EOC operations during disaster internally and with regional stakeholders.

Timeline: 2023-2027
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed by: (Name/Department)
Jamie Smith, San Marcos Fire Department, Emergency Manager, [email protected]

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Continue to expand and refine the City-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) to promulgate the knowledge of potential hazards and enhance the City’s capability to perform analysis resulting in identification SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
36 and potential reduction of hazards.

Hazard Wildfire, Flood, Earthquake
Background/Issue: GIS data refinement is an ongoing process, as data and needs change the GIS division will identify potential needs and determine solutions that will help to expand the use of GIS in hazard identification and mitigation.

Ideas for Integration: Data collection, integrated GIS based toolkits, data expansion, analytics Responsible Agency: Development Services
Partners: San Marcos Fire, Public Works, Engineering
Potential Funding: State/Federal/Various Agency Grants, General Fund Cost Estimate: $50k -$150
Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
Improving GIS may result in quicker hazard identification and areas of higher risk resulting in proactive approaches to removing those risks to avoid losses in part or in whole.

Timeline: 2023-2027
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed by: Isaac Etchamendy, Director

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Watershed Water Quality Improvement Projects
Hazard: Climate Change (Drought, Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Sea Level Rise, Severe Wind, Severe Winter Weather), Flooding
Background/Issue: The City of San Marcos is consider a discharger under the San Diego Water Board Municipal Stormwater permit. San Marcos Creek is on the 303(d) list and is impaired for benthic community effects,
dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), indicator bacteria, phosphorus, selenium, and toxicity. Potential future improvement projects would target these pollutants along with trash discharges. The City of San Marcos Watershed program continually evaluates various projects with the goals of effectively prohibiting non-storm water discharges to the City’s storm drain conveyance system and to reduce pollutants in storm water discharges from the City’s storm drain conveyance system to the maximum extent practical.

Ideas for Integration: Potential projects include, but are not limited to stream/channel/habitat SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
37 restoration, retrofit of existing infrastructure, structural treatment control device implementation, trash capture device implementation, and regional treatment facility partnerships.

Responsible Agency: City of San Marcos
Partners: None at this time
Potential Funding: General Funds, Mitigation Grants
Cost Estimate: Unknown
Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
The reduction of pollutants in San Marcos Creek.

Timeline: 2023-2027
Priority: High
Worksheet Completed by: (Name/Department) Reed Thornberry/Watershed Program

Jurisdiction: City of San Marcos, CA
Priority Action /Project
Title:

Migration of critical City Enterprise Applications to SaaS, including but not limited to: Laserfiche, Tyler Munis, Kronos Telestaff, City Telephony System, Online/Off Premise backup of critical data systems Hazard: Cyber Attacks, All Hazards
Background/Issue: In event of natural disaster, City will maintain business continuity with critical services hosted off premise.

Ideas for Integration: Contact vendors of various systems for hosted solutions Responsible Agency: City of San Marcos
Partners: Vendors and City Departments
Potential Funding: General Fund, State and Federal Grants Cost Estimate: 380K-400K
Benefits: (Losses
Avoided)
Many critical systems are hosted on premise currently, migrating to a hosted SaaS solution will offer a robust business continuity solution Timeline: 2023-2024
Priority: High
SECTION SIX | Develop a Mitigation Strategy
38 Worksheet Completed by: (Name/Department)
John Taitano/Mark Garman
Information Technology Department
SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
39 7. SECTION SEVEN: Keep the Plan
Current
Hazard Mitigation Plan maintenance is the process the planning team establishes to track the plan’s implementation progress and to inform the plan update. The plan must include a description of the method and schedule for monitoring, evaluating, and updating it within a 5- year cycle. These procedures help to:
• Ensure that the mitigation strategy is implemented according to the plan. • Provide the foundation for an ongoing mitigation program in your community. • Standardize long-term monitoring of hazard-related activities. • Integrate mitigation principles into community officials’ daily job responsibilities and department roles.
• Maintain momentum through continued engagement and accountability in the plan’s progress.

Hazard Mitigation Plan updates provide the opportunity to consider how well the procedures established in the previously approved plan worked and revise them as needed. This annex is part of the most recent San Diego County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The plan was last updated in 2018. See the San Diego County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for more information.

7.1. Mitigation Action Progress
Plan monitoring means tracking the implementation of the plan over time. The plan must identify how, when, and by whom the plan will be monitored. San Marcos participates in all monitoring described in the County Base Plan. The planning team has given priority action updates in the next pages, many of which had great accomplishments in the last plans timeline. The following section are updates regarding the San Marcos 10 priority actions from the 2018 plan.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
40 Progress Report Period From Date:2018 To Date:2022
Action/Program Title Maintain public education efforts to increase the awareness of the public to the threat of wildfire to the City of San Marcos
Responsible Agency City of San Marcos Fire Department
Contact Name Jason Nailon
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]
Funding Source General Funds/Local Funds
Project Status o Project completed (see dates below)
o Project canceled
o Project on schedule- Annually
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain None
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period?

1. Joint Wildfire Awareness and Prevention Videos released on the City website and social media platforms (6/2020)

2. Senior Mobile Home Park, Apartment, HOA Presentation including Wildfire Awareness (11/2018 – 9/2019)

3. Social Media Wildfire Awareness Posts/Stories (2018-2020)

4. Door to Door High Fire Zone Print Media – Coronado Hills (9/2020)

5. Community Town Hall Meetings within High Fire Zone communities [PACE] (5/2019 -11/2019)

6. Integrated into Communications Department Plan for the city.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter?

1. Delays with release due to disagreement for branding within Northzone Departments.

2. None

3. None

4. None

5. None

3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised?

1. Completed 2. Completed 3. Ongoing 4. Completed 5. PACE Program was revised to digital media to account for COVID regulations and reach a broader audience.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
41 Progress Report
Period
From Date:2018 To Date:2022
Action/Program Title Continue to enforce the 150-foot fuel clearance ordinance Responsible Agency City of San Marcos Fire Department
Contact Name Jason Nailon
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]
Funding Source Local funds, Force Abatement Fees
Project Status o Project completed 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 o Project canceled
o Project on schedule- Annually
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain None
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period?

1. Proactive Inspection and Enforcement of defensible space within the high fire severity zones. On average +3500 parcels are inspected annually

2. Annual abatement of City maintained defensible space fuel breaks and vacant lots.

On average 65 acres of City owned lots are cleared annually

3. Continuous monitoring, assessment and enforcement of citizen wildfire concerns. On average 100 citizen concerns are recorded annually.

4. This has been integrated into the General Plan for the city in it’s update for 2022-23.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter?

1. Delayed parcel ownership address updates from the County resulting in delayed abatement. Inability to abate due to sensitive Environmental concerns. 2. None 3.

None

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
42 3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised?

1. Ongoing 2. Ongoing 3. Ongoing -No changes or revisions required.

Progress Report
Period
From Date: 2018 To Date: 2022
Action/Project Title Review, update, and validate pre-incident plans for high vulnerability Wildland-urban interface areas.

Responsible Agency San Marcos Fire
Contact Name William Frederick, Division Chief
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]

Funding Source County UASI Funding
Project Status o Project completed April 2018
o Project canceled
o Project on schedule
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period? During the reporting period, the San Marcos Fire Department completed a full review of all current WUI- Wildland Urban Interface plans to verify the accuracy of the plan in the event of a major wildland fire incident. These included the South Twins Oaks Valley, North Twin Oaks Valley, and Via Allondra WUI plans. This review process resulted in an update recommendation for the North Twin Oaks Valley WUI plan and the creation of a new WUI plan called the Central Twin Oaks Valley WUI Plan. The Central Twin Oaks Valley WUI Plan focused on the interface areas in the middle of the City of San Marcos just north of Palomar College and the residential community of Santa Fe Hills. Also, during this time period, the San Marcos Fire Department was requested to assist CalFire San Diego Unit with their development of the new Merriam Mountains WUI on the north border of the City of San Marcos.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? In May of 2014, the San Marcos Fire Department experienced a major extended attack wildfire incident, the Cocos Fire, which caused significant loss of residential structures in the urban interface areas on the south end of the City. This unfortunate obstacle positively assisted the department with the update and revision of our several current WUI plans as outlined above.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
43 Progress Report Period From Date: 2018 To Date: 2022 Action/Project Title Work to promulgate the San Marcos Creek Specific Plan and coordinate with the US Army Corps of Engineers, San Diego County Regional Water Quality Control Board, US Fish and Wildlife, and California Fish and Game to implement a plan to minimize potential impact to future development along the Reaches 2, 4, and 5.

Responsible Agency Development Services
Contact Name Isaac Etchamendy, Director
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]

Funding Source Highway Bridge Program, Transit Regional Funding, Successor Agency Funds, Pubic Impact Fees
Project Status o Project completed- March 2023
o Project canceled
o Project on schedule
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period?

The City obtained permits from the USACE, SDCRWQCB, USFWS and CAFWS to implement the construction of the San Marcos Creek Infrastructure projects and was integrated into the Capital Improvement Planning process. This project will reduce flooding, and eliminate low water crossings and flood prone crossings that frequently result in reductions in emergency response times. This project is anticipated to be complete by 2023.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? Due to the complexity of the project, several design issues were encountered during the project.

Design started in 2010 then moved into construction in 2020. Additional delays included environmental clearance within the project limits that substantially de layed start of construction.

Additional causes for delay included funding issues.

3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised?
SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
44 This project is completed in March 2023. It is currently in construction as of 2022.

Progress Report Period From Date: 2018 To Date: 2022
Action/Project Title Implement geospatial database of critical infrastructure/target hazards Responsible Agency Development Services
Contact Name Isaac Etchamendy, Director
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]

Funding Source General Funds
Project Status o Project completed
o Project canceled
o Project on schedule for 2023
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period?

The GIS division has developed mapping for critical infrastructure and continues to work with surrounding agencies to collect data for mapping. Additional data is required to identify potential targets.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? During CoVid, the city was absent of GIS staff.

3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised?
Yes, the project is still relevant. Maintaining a GIS system with hazards is beneficial to the entire City’s objective to risk reduction and management.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
45 Progress Report Period From Date: 2018 To Date: 2022 Action/Project Title Implement information technology redundancy for continuity of city operations in the event that city facilities are damaged by geological hazards.

Responsible Agency City of San Marcos
Contact Name John Taitano
Contact Phone/Email 760.744.1050, 3135 [email protected] Funding Source Local/General Funds
Project Status o Project completed- 2019
o Project canceled
o Project on schedule
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period? Migration and upgrade of MS Exchange to O365 SaaS:

Migration of Exchange to O365 Off-Premise (2019)
Cisco Firewall Software Upgrade/ Deployment Cisco AnyConnect VPN (2019) Deployment of DUO Two Factor Authentication (2019)
These programs are now part of S tandard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all city departments and staff.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? N/A

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
46 Progress Report Period From Date: 2018 To Date: 2022 Action/Project Title Continue annual storm drain maintenance program Responsible Agency City of San Marcos (Public Works)
Contact Name Jess Culpeper
Contact Phone/Email Phone: (760) 752-7550 Ext. 3314
Email: [email protected]
Funding Source
Project Status • Project completed- August 2020
• Project canceled
• Project on schedule
• Anticipated completion date:
• Project delayed
Explain
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period? A significant element of the City’s storm drain maintenance program was initiated and implemented, identifying critical City owned drainage channels within the City’s drainage system and initiating the systematic annual maintenance of these components. This process included developing maintenance plans, securing maintenance permits from regulatory agencies such as CDFW, Army Corp of Engineers and the Regional Water Board, as well as educating and training City staff regarding permissible operational maintenan ce procedures.

Once these and other various prerequisites were completed, City staff proceeded with implementing this facet of the City’s annual storm drain maintenance.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? No significant challenges or delays were encountered.

3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised?
The project is complete, in that this key storm drain maintenance has been implemented and will continue annually in perpetuity as a vital component of the City’s storm drain maintenance program.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
47 Progress Report Period From Date:2018 To Date:2022
Action/Program Title Pursue stated and or federal grants as available to assist in reducing losses due to other manmade hazards.

Responsible Agency City of San Marcos Fire Department
Contact Name Heather Todd
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]
Funding Source Homeland Security Grants
Project Status o Project completed, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 o Project canceled
o Project on schedule– Ongoing Program
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain None
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period? The San Marcos Fire Department pursued both UASI and SHSP funding during the identified reporting period to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), tactical medic equipment and training for department personnel. These items ensure department redundancy and preparation for manmade hazard incident response.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? No obstacles, problems or delays were encountered during this reporting period.

3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised?
This project is ongoing and by continuing to pursue both state and federal grant funding, the department is reinforcing their commitment to providing both PPE and training ensuring personnel are adequately prepared to respond to manmade hazard based incidents.

4. Other comments
The department pursued and was awarded a tow vehicle under UASI 21 to support the UASI 09 funded Mobile Emergency Operations Center (MEOC). This purchase will ensure that the MEOC remains able to be deployed throughout the state and federally, if requested. Our projects related to this funding are integrated into regional mitigation spending planning through Homeland Security funding opportunities listed above.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
48 Progress Report Period From Date: 2018 To Date: 2022 Action/Project Title Continue to update greenhouse gas inventory data and monitor the progress in reducing our impacts for target years 2020 and 2030.

Responsible Agency Development Services
Contact Name Isaac Etchamendy, Director
Contact Phone/Email [email protected]

Funding Source Local Funds/General Funds
Project Status o Project completed: December 2020
o Project canceled
o Project on schedule
o Anticipated completion date:
o Project delayed
Explain
Summary of Project Progress for this Report Period

1. What was accomplished for this project during this reporting period?

The City has created and implemented a comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CAP) towards implementation of the states GHG reduction pursuant to state laws targeting GHG reductions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 and a mid-term goal reducing GHG by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

2. What obstacles, problems, or delays did the project encounter? None

3. If uncompleted, is the project still relevant? Should the project be changed or revised? Complete, we will continue to monitor and report progress. This element has been integrated into the city’s Climate Action Plan.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
49 7.2. Plan Update Evaluation
Update Summary of development 2018-2022:

Since the beginning of 2018, approximately 530 single-family and multi-family dwelling units have been constructed in San Marcos’s Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ). These have included units constructed as a result of the private development projects:
• Vidler Estates – single family homes in the north area where the City begins to transition from suburban to rural
• San Elijo Hills – single family homes built as an additional phase to an already developed master-planned community on the southern edge of San Marcos • Borden 22 – single family homes near the border of Escondido, in a well-developed and established area
• Viewpoint Fitzpatrick – single family homes near the center of San Marcos, in a well- developed and established area
• MU-4 Brookfield – single family homes near the center of town in an a previously undeveloped, open area
• Rancho Coronado - single family homes near the center of town in an a previously undeveloped, open area
• Rancho Tesoro - single family homes near the center of town in an a previously undeveloped, open area
• El Dorado – multi-family homes near the center of town, in a well-developed and established area
The North City project is an on-going, large scale development project that has added student housing and an extended learning center in the past few years. This development is in the center of town, creating a “downtown” area that has increased capacity and regular use in the area.

High-rise buildings have recently been approved and anticipated to start construction in the near future.

Other updates:

Plan Section Considerations Explanation

Planning
Process
Should new jurisdictions and/or
districts be invited to participate
in future plan updates?
Yes, as new business and/or community sector
organizations form during the next project period.

Have any internal or external
agencies been invaluable to the
mitigation strategy?
While San Marcos Fire Emergency Management takes
the lead in this effort, all departments are vital to
originating the city's priorities. This is personified in the multiple plans and projects that help to tackle
betterment, including the General Plan and Climate
Action Plan.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
50 Also important to the findings in this annex, are the many opinions from the public which resulted in the
County administered survey that went out April 2022.

Can any procedures (e.g.,
meeting announcements, plan
updates) be done differently or
more efficiently?
While in-person meetings are preferred, virtual meetings should be utilized in the future to continue maximum
participation.

Has the Planning Team
undertaken any public outreach
activities?
San Marcos promotes all regional outreach efforts for
this plan, continuing exposure to our communities for
their involvement.

How can public participation be
improved?
We can continue to use social media platforms the city
uses in order to engage our community members to take
part in the planning process.

Have there been any changes in
public support and/or decision-
maker priorities related to
hazard mitigation?
They city has always been engaged with climate change
challenges, but more so as we lean in and proactively
help our city adapt for greener plans and processes.

Capability
Assessment
Have jurisdictions adopted new
policies, plans, regulations, or
reports that could be
incorporated into this plan?
During this update San Marcos has made a point to
include the General Plan and Climate Action Plan within the goals because they include many aspects of proactive mitigation.

Are there different or additional
administrative, human,
technical, and financial
resources available for
mitigation planning?
Potentially, as staff positions change, and budget
priorities shift, this capability may see some limitation of available resources for mitigation projects.

Are there different or new
education and outreach
programs and resources
available for mitigation
activities?
San Marcos is always striving to incorporate new
outreach programs and resources into its mitigation
activities.

Has NFIP participation changed
in the participating
jurisdictions?
No changes.

Has a natural and/or technical or
human-caused disaster
occurred?
Pandemic: CoVid-19
SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
51 Risk
Assessment
Should the list of hazards
addressed in the plan be
modified?
Not at this time.

Are there new data sources
and/or additional maps and
studies available? If so, what are
they and what have they
revealed? Should the
information be incorporated into
future plan updates?
As new sources of GIS products, and technological
tools (mobile apps, etc.) emerged, they have been
identified and incorporated into the goals and actions for this update.

Do any new critical facilities or
infrastructure need to be added
to the asset lists?
Not at this time.

Have any changes in
development trends occurred
that could create additional
risks?
See above summary of development.

Are there repetitive losses
and/or severe repetitive losses to
document?
No. The only repetitive loss identified by the county is 1 residential unit (as seen in section 4).

TABLE 13: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBOOK WORKSHEET 7.2 DATA.

Plan Section Considerations Explanation

Mitigation
Strategy
Is the mitigation strategy being
implemented as anticipated?
Were the cost and timeline
estimates accurate?
Yes, though we anticipate the next update to be even
more accurate for cost and timelines. In hindsight,
previously, the language used and responsible parties
were not applicable to the staffing structure the city
currently has. This has been updated and improved.

Should new mitigation actions
be added to the Action Plan?
Should existing mitigation
actions be revised or eliminated
from the plan?
The Action Plan has been revised, updated, and
improved, to reflect the next five years proactive
mitigation goals.

Are there new obstacles that
were not anticipated in the plan
that will need to be considered
in the next plan update?
As GIS and technology capabilities increase, we will
adapt and improve. Moreover, as each fire season
increases risk for wildfire, the city will lean into any process or procedures that may improve protecting
our community and enhance public safety.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
52 Are there new funding sources
to consider?
Unknown.

Have elements of the plan been
incorporated into other planning
mechanisms?
The city aims to have plans integrated as much as
possible for the best coordinated and collaborated
outcomes.

Plan
Maintenance
Procedures
Was the plan monitored and
evaluated as anticipated?
Yes.

What are needed improvements
to the procedures?
To ensure continual progression reporting
appropriately to be captured in the next update.

TABLE 14: FEMA LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING HANDBO OK WORKSHEET 7.2 DATA CONTINUE

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
53 7.3 Incorporation into Other Planning Mechanisms and Existing Programs
Every priority action from the 2018 plan was integrated into city planning activities during the adoption period. Details on plans that were created or used for integration are in the update charts above in section 7.1.
o City of San Marcos Emergency Operations Plan – The Emergency Operations Plan addresses the City’s responsibilities in emergencies associated with natural disaster, human-caused emergencies, and technological incidents. It includes the hazards of concern identified in the hazard mitigation plan and incorporates the plan by reference. o General Plan Safety Element, 2012 – The City of San Marcos has a Safety Element in its General Plan that includes a discussion of climate adaptation and fire, earthquake, flood, hazardous materials, and airport hazards. The hazard mitigation plan is an implementation appendix to the Safety Element.
o Capital Improvements Plan – The Capital Improvement Plan includes projects that can help mitigate potential hazards. The City will act to ensure consistency between the hazard mitigation plan and the current and future capital improvement plans. The hazard mitigation plan may identify new possible funding sources for capital improvement projects and may result in modifications to proposed projects based on results of the risk assessment. o Climate Action Plan, 2020 – Highlights potential programs that could be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and discusses possible impacts of climate change.

An important implementation mechanism that is highly effective and low-cost is the incorporation of the hazard mitigation plan recommendations and their underlying principles into other jurisdictional plans and mechanisms. Mitigation is most successful when it is incorporated into the day-to-day functions and priorities of government and development. The mitigation plan can be considered as the hub of a wheel with spokes radiating out to other related planning mechanisms that will build from the information and recommendations contained herein.

Properly implemented, the HMP should serve as one of the foundational documents of the jurisdictions’ emergency management programs, since everything emergency management does should relate back in one way or another to the hazards the jurisdiction faces. As stated in Section 7.1 above, implementation through existing plans and/or programs is recommended wherever possible. Based on this Plan’s capability assessment and progress made on mitigation actions noted in Section 6, the participating jurisdictions continue to implement policies and programs to reduce losses to life and property from natural and human-caused hazards. The Planning Team will be responsible for integrating the data, goals and objectives, and other elements of this Plan into other plans, as appropriate.

The following chart provides some guidance on how the jurisdictions may use the updated HMP to inform and improve other plans, procedures, and programs.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
54 NAME OF CITY PLAN IDEAS FOR INTERGRATION

REGIONAL PLANNING

EFFORTS
The city takes part in several Operational Area planning efforts. This annex is just one of those efforts. The city should continue bringing the content and goals of this annex into future regional planning efforts to include the OA Emergency Operations Plan, Recovery plans, Debris removal plans, and the next iteration of the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

THREAT AND HAZARD

IDENTIFICATION AND RISK

ASSESSMENT
The city may look into an updated THIRA to be done through future grant funding. If so, during that process the integration of mitigation priorities identified in section 6 of this plan should be addressed in the assessment. The assessment could also find future gaps which can inform the mitigation
planning team on considerations for further mitigation project opportunities.

RESPONSE PLANS All participating jurisdictions have local emergency operations plans (EOP). While the EOP is an all hazards document, it also contains hazard-specific information and concerns. Hazard information from this HMP update will be incorporated into the next EOP update for 2023. At a
minimum, all high significance hazards identified in this Plan should be addressed in future EOP updates.

Several other operational or functional response plans are also influenced by information contained in the
HMP. These plans could include the development and
implementation of, but are not limited to:
• Damage Assessment Plan: A review of the vulnerability and estimated losses detailed in the hazard profiles can help identify what areas to initially prioritize following a hazard event. Section 5 table can inform this plan.
• Debris Management Plan: HAZUS runs conducted for
earthquake scenarios include an estimate of how many tons of debris would likely be generated by those scenarios. These estimates can be used as bounding limits for how much and what type of debris generation is likely to be required, as well as what areas are most likely to see heavy debris generations.

Moreover, assessments done by the GIS position within San Marcos for the GIS priority action identified in this plan can inform specific considerations for a Debris plan.

GENERAL PLAN The San Marcos General Plan includes a safety element. The general plan is currently going through an update. As part of that update we will be updating the hazards assessments described, as well as, include the integration of our priority actions identified in section 6. One of the projects to highlight will be adding Fire Station 5.

SECTION SEVEN | Keep the Plan Current
55 CONTINUITY OF

OPERATIONS PLAN
Many local government departments and agencies are
required to maintain a Continuity of Operations
Plan (COOP) that details that agency’s critical functions and how they will protect those functions in order to continue to provide essential services during a disaster or interruption. By defining and describing the hazards facing the County,
including frequency and severity, the HIRA informs agency COOP plans by giving context to what types of disasters of interruptions are most likely to occur.

Critical facilities and assets located in hazard areas in Section 5 should be prioritized for COOP planning. Moreover, section 6 projects include systems to be in place and used for an updated San Marcos City COOP.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

AND OUTREACHING PLANS
The jurisdictions’ ongoing public education and outreach efforts should reflect the hazards and vulnerabilities described in this Plan. In addition to preparing for disasters, public education should include ways in which the public can reduce their vulnerability to natural and human caused hazards.

Furthermore, mitigation activities and success stories should be communicated to the public to show the benefits of
effective mitigation planning.

CAPITAL IMPOROVEMENT
PLANS
Priority action projects in section 6 with high-dollar actions listed or identified in the future can be added to the Capital Improvements Plan to ensure that hazard mitigation projects continue to receive funding.

Even projects for which the jurisdictions intend to seek grant funding may also need to be addressed in the
Capital Improvements Plan, given that most mitigation grants require significant local matching funds.

Prior and current mitigation planning has been successfully integrated (2018 priority action of The Creek Project in section 7) and will be the model for further landmark
infrastructure mitigation such as Fire Station 5 in section 6.

56 END OF PLAN

San Marcos City CouncilMay 23, 2023

San Marcos City Council
May 23, 2023